Alternate Destiny
by thethursdaygirl
Summary: Mamoru can't begin to cope with the supposed, sudden death of his soul mate following the events of their breakup. So when five years later, famous supermodel Serenity DeLune appears in Tokyo, all is not lost. But who is Diamond DeLune? And why does Usagi have no memory of her prince? Can he win her love again before it's too late? Be careful what you wish for.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon (sigh.)

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Alternate Destiny

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 _An Opportunity Arises_

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Usagi didn't know why he didn't want her anymore, just that he didn't. What had she done so wrong to make him not love her anymore? Their love was supposed to be unbreakable, to able to withstand to forces of space and time. _A Destined Love._

 _Not so much anymore._ Was destiny really shattered that easily? Perhaps it had always been meant to end, Usagi pondered. Serenity and Endymion's love had been indestructible, but he wasn't Endymion and she was no Serenity. She cringed when the image of his face assaulted her mind, the way he looked at her last when he so blatantly denied their love would be forever burned into her brain. No, Chiba Mamoru was indeed not her prince and this life of hers was no fairytale.

She shouldn't think of him, it was for the best. It was better to be numb, there was always tomorrow to think of it. Usagi had decided it was more important to think of what she did have, a loving family, friends she would die for, yes there were always other things to live for.

As she continued her idle walk through the park, Usagi watched as the sun set to what she considered a terrible day. Soon it would be dark and the moon would rise to its place in the night sky. Just the thought of it brought a little warmth to her heart, _home._ Usagi wondered if she could go back, perhaps she could even restore her kingdom somewhat and leave his behind. But her life was here, her family and friends.

Then a familiar shrill beep snapped Usagi from her melancholy thoughts and forced her to tend to the communicator on her wrist.

"Rubeus is at the shrine, hurry!" Was all that Mars had said before cutting off the message. The blonde jumped up from the bench she had sat down on with a new bout of determination. She could still save her friends, and other citizens of the earth, she did have purpose.

Running behind a particularly dense group of trees, she called out her transformation phrase before running off toward the Hikawa shrine. When she got there however, she was not expecting to see the sight laid out in front of her. Sailor Mercury was out cold, and Jupiter did not look much better collapsed next to a tree.

"Burning Mandala!" Mars cried out at Rubeus, only for her attack to get uselessly absorbed into his forcefield.

"Where is the rabbit?" The red headed member of the Black Moon clan demanded, before grabbing Venus's chain and throwing her into Mars.

"I won't let you have Chibiusa, you would leave her alone if you knew what was good for you," Sailor Moon advised, making her moon scepter appear within her grasp, but Rubeus only smirked at her threat.

A little unsettled by his reaction, the moon senshi called out her attack but was surprised when nothing happened.

"What?" She whispered to herself, feeling her heart drop in her chest for the second time that day. "Moon Princess Halation!" Sailor Moon cried out again more desperately, her voice hitching.

A smug look met her confused daze, then the red haired man was pulling something out from under his shirt. _A necklace? It looked like a strange contraption indeed. Hanging on a silver chain, a rather large black gem glinted mockingly at her._

"Your power means nothing in the presence of the black crystal, Sailor Moon, _you're useless."_

 _Useless_ , it reminded her of Mamoru's harsh words earlier, it was as if the rest of the world faded away and she was only bombarded by his memories. Maybe not taking the proper time to grieve afterwards wasn't such a good idea. Seizing his great opportunity the Black Moon clan member stalked up to an unsuspecting Sailor Moon and tore her brooch from her fuku.

With a shriek and flash of bright light, Tsukino Usagi was left on the ground in the sweater and skirt she had been wearing earlier.

With a look at the girl on the ground something occurred to Rubeus.

"This has been most interesting indeed, but I'm afraid I have more important matters to attend to, until next time," He mock saluted before teleporting out of the area.

Usagi laid on the ground taking short, ragged breaths, that forced de-transformation was painful, and the loss of the silver crystal had also left her mostly drained of energy.

"The silver crystal!" Sailor Venus called out, their only chance against the enemy had been stolen.

"What were you thinking? How could you?" Mars yelled out at Usagi, limping over to her.

The reincarnated moon princess just laid on the ground in silence, trying to take everything in.

"Why did you just let him get away with the crystal, you really are _useless, aren't you?"_ Mars narrowed her fiery eyes at the blonde. As if she were finally registering her surroundings, Usagi flinched at her friends question.

"We could have all died! Answer me damn it!" She shrieked at the shell shocked princess.

 _Died, it was her fault, she was useless._ Even they didn't want her now, Usagi reached for her brooch to hand it over in resignation but remembered that she didn't even have it anymore. Instead she dropped her communicator and Luna pen to the ground before getting shakily to her feet. Taking one last look at the senshi she turned to walk away, then a thought occurred to her, she was leaving this whole chapter of her life behind her now, they had no use for her anymore.

As she walked away from her past life she felt a strange sort of relief, no more fighting, no more loss. She could forget all about Princess Serenity, and only be Tsukino Usagi, just like it used to be. After all, she had a life before all of this, with other friends and her family as well, she would focus on that now. This was just the beginning.

The walk home was only a vague memory for a dazed Usagi, she got a confused look from her mom as she walked in the door. When she was in her bedroom with a carefully shut door she realized it was because the state of her appearance. The stray twigs and leaves that decorated her pale gold hair and the knit of her ballerina pink sweater brought a humorless laugh to her lips. She did look rather silly, like she had rolled around in the dry leaves outside. Before she could stop it, more laughter bubbled to her lips and she fell to her knees at the ache in her chest. If anybody were to see her right now they would think her hysterical, but then the laughter morphed into heart wrenching sobs. _Mamo-chan, everyone, I'm so sorry that destiny has cursed you to be tangled up with me, if I could undo our fates I would do it this instant._

 _Be careful what you wish for._

For the rest of the night she planned to lay on the floor and stare mindlessly at the texture on the white ceiling. But like a magnet her gaze was drawn to the night sky framed by her window. The stars glittered like little diamonds and she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, in a moment of weakness she even let her eyes slip to the moon, feeling that a new moon would be most appropriate for her new beginning.

But instead what stared back at her was the full moon, its meaning; _signed, sealed, and stamped._ Was her destiny already sealed? It gave her an ominous feeling that she couldn't shake. Something was going to happen, but what? Usagi let her eyes rest for a moment, she could always think about it tomorrow.

 _Yes, tomorrow._

 _All will be better, love._

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	2. Chapter 1

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Alternate Destiny

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It Begins

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The ticking of the clock beside me was starting to grate on my nerves, each sound was like a taunt, but still I did nothing about it. Maybe if I ignore it long enough, I can forget about the problem. _What ticking clock? All I hear is her screams in my head anyways._

I count a couple more minutes of ticking before my hand swings and swats the clock all the way across the bedroom, which I measure by the crash it makes when it collides with the wall.

I hear a groan escape my lips that sounds a bit more like a sob, _what have I done?_

 _I have done what needed to be done,_ another voice in my head insists, _but have I really?_

And thats the thought that scares me the most. I can't sleep, I can't do anything right anymore, something feels off. Hurting her is bad, but the idea that she might actually take me up on my offer of escape is terrifying. She could have anybody, and our love from the past is just that, _the past,_ it all crumbles to dust eventually. So call me selfish, that I would rather she hurt and miss me than toss aside my memory, because I know I will never forsake hers. It's rather ironic how I'm doing this to save her from herself, but am causing the pain as well, and secretly hoping that she will always carry this little bundle of pain with her, because if she loved me even half as much as I love her, there will be no forgetting or moving on. And at least the thought that she loves me will give me some sort of strength.

As if even the thought of her is some sort of blessing, my weary eyes close and I seem to grasp at the wisps of sleep that have been alluding me recently. Then the darkness crashes around me, _this isn't right, another nightmare?_

"What else do you want from me?" I hear myself yell out into the darkness surrounding me, "I gave up everything because of this torture!"

Then suddenly the landscape reveals itself, it looks like the apocalypse, but not the kind this nightmare usually shows me. The ground is grey and littered with cracks and craters, the air is sickly and stagnant. As far as the eye can see there are no buildings, only destruction.

"What is this?"

"Welcome to Crystal Tokyo," a familiar voice cracks and I turn around sharply. I expect to see a man standing behind me but instead see one crouched on the ground, obliviously getting his expensive looking clothing smudged with dust. He doesn't look up at me, but even so I have a strange sense of foreboding.

"Well it was Crystal Tokyo, but I would hardly call it that anymore," he mumbles into his sleeve, mostly to himself I think, making me question his grip on sanity. I scoff at myself, as if I'm in the position to question someone else's mental wellbeing. The sound apparently catches his attention because he turns his face up to look at me for the first time. It's like getting punched in the gut when he does.

"You- _you're-_ _Me!"_ I stumble out and he looks away, clearly not amused by this. _Perhaps in other circumstances he would find the reaction more comical,_ I don't pay any mind to how I seem so sure of this observation.

But the more I look at him, the more some minor differences seem to stand out, he looks taller, broader, maybe..?

"Older," the words gruffly pass through his lips.

"Older?"

"Yes, I am you in the future Mamoru," he pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing, "I went by King Endymion."

The use of past tense doesn't escape my notice, and I think that was his intent, but instead of explaining further he just stares out at the barren land with his chin resting on his arm.

"What happened?"

"I made a mistake," King Endymion says, "You must fix it Mamoru, before it's too late," I watch as he fumbles around in a pocket before pulling something out in a clenched hand. As if he were protecting it with his life, and I see a glint of gold.

Slowly his hand relaxes around the object and holds it out in front of him with trembling hands.

 _"_ _She's gone."_

And while he couldn't be more vague I catch the meaning as soon as the words leave his lips, the breath is knocked out of me.

 _"_ _What?"_

"Serenity, she was healing herself within the crystal," he chokes on his next words, "She opened her eyes and they went really wide for a moment, I thought she had finally woken up, that she was free, that _we were free,_ but then." The silence stretches on and I wonder if I am going to ever know her fate.

"She flashed a bright light, like when she uses the crystal, and then everything shattered. Everything that had been made by the power of her legendary silver crystal, the palace and the city and everything. And then I look down at where she was trapped in the crystal and she's _gone. I would have thought that maybe she teleported away but-"_

 _"_ _But what?"_

 _"_ _Ashes,"_ the king closed his glazed eyes and let out a sob, _"Was all that was left of her."_

"The dreams were right," I felt myself say, not entirely there.

"The dreams? Wake up Mamoru! The dreams are nothing, _that was me!"_ he roared, standing up threateningly.

"Why would you do that? _What the hell is wrong with you!_ Why would you try to separate us like that? Surely your joking." I shoved at his slightly broader chest between heaving accusations to make my point.

"You don't understand, waiting for her like that, thinking she was never going to wake up from that, I was going _mad,_ I had to reassure myself that it was right," he had me by my shoulders and was shaking with rage.

"I'm sorry," he stopped and his whole body slumped forward, his arms dropped carelessly to the side, the mystery object still locked in his hand.

"I'm lost without them," he said brokenly, a picture appearing in his hand, hesitantly he handed it to me. Two figures, one was _her, rivers of silvery hair cascaded down her back and onto the bed on which she sat. Her figure had changed slightly, more curves, but still petite and delicate. She looked more mature, but still had that carefree smile upon her face as she beamed down at the figure on her lap. It was a little girl with strawberry hair, who wore a similar white dress and a small little tiara upon her tiny head._

 _"_ _Chibi-usa?"_ It was barely a whisper from my lips, but he nodded slowly.

"I lost Small Lady that night as well, my family is gone now," his lips tremble at the words, and then is if to emphasize the meaning, the picture disintegrates into ash and he moves as if to catch it. Only for the illusive particles to slip through his fingers. The kings eyes are wide and then he slumps down to the ground again in resignation.

I nodded back in understanding, now I no longer had to wonder at my connection the the mysterious little girl who had dropped into our lives. _Usako, if only you knew that she is our daughter,_ I felt a lump in my throat.

 _But if the dreams are from him, what is it that causes her demise? Can we be together after all?_

Then I feel someone else's gaze burning into my back, _who now?_

He doesn't give me more time to ponder this before he stalks past me like I don't even exist, before standing regally before the king and snatching the object from his hand.

King Endymion lets out what sounds like a pitiful whimper and the new figure stomps a few feet away from him, then turns to me with a clear look of disgust written on an oh-so-familiar face.

"If I knew I would be reborn as a pair of such ignorant asses, I probably would have fought my death off much harder," he sneers, standing all high and mighty in his suit of armor and crosses his arms over his chest.

"And _you_ , how dare you use _my_ name, you're a _disgrace,"_ Prince Endymion kicks up dirt in the kings direction with his boot.

 _"_ _How are you even here?"_ I find myself asking what I can only describe as my past incarnate.

 _"_ _What, in the future?"_ He addresses me mockingly which oddly makes my blood burn, "This isn't really the thirtieth century, _it is gone."_ The prince takes a moment to spare a bitter look at the mourning man on the ground. "This is our subconscious, something has happened to make the bond weak, that's why we have split," He makes a wild hand gesture that seems out of character for him.

Then he takes his hateful glare away and looks at the handful cradled by his chest, all I see is pure adoration in his eyes as he opens his hand around the star shaped locket.

"She keeps everything together, she makes everything right," the prince whispers, still seemingly captivated by the locket in his hand. Until the older version of them makes a sharp, loud intake of breath capturing everyones attention. Prince Endymion shoots him an aggravated look, tearing his eyes away from their treasure. The king's eyes are wide open and a look of terror crosses his face before in a flash of gold light, _he is gone._

I watch as an alarmed look crosses my counterparts face, before it twists in pain and he drops to the ground.

"NO!" he cries out, _"Serenity, stop it!"_ His hands grasp at his chest desperately.

"What's going on?"

 _"_ _The bond,_ somethings wrong, she's trying to break _the bond,"_ he gasps out, _"You have to stop her before it's too late!"_

 _Yes, I feel it, something is wrong._ I hesitate, wondering how exactly I exit this subconsciousness.

"GO!" He yells and the darkness fades into my bedroom as it feels like I'm slammed back into the bed.

The tug I feel is urgent, _what has she done?_ Instantly I bound from my bed and out the building as quickly as I can. It's like a string with an end tied to each of us, pulling me in her direction. There is the feeling of danger, a little panic strumming through, but then it seems to fizzle out. And a whole new terror overtook, _Is she blocking me?_

Luckily it was clearly the direction of her house that I was headed in anyways, but it's not the sight of her house that greets me when I arrive, It's a wall of flames. In a huddle I spot Ikuko, Kenji and Shingo Tsukino on the lawn, hacking away at the smoke in their lungs.

 _But that's one short!_ They don't even have the energy to pay me any mind before I start screaming.

 _"_ _Usako!"_

And is if responding to my call I make out a figure approaching the window to which I know is her room. She moves leisurely to open it I feel my breathing hasten, _good now jump!_ Even from the second story it is like jumping a curb on the sidewalk, transformed or not. She will be okay, she just has to jump. _She will jump._

 _But she doesn't,_ blue eyes just gaze out at the night sky before her as the flames grow bigger. The reaction to all the oxygen coming in from the opened window. The look in her eyes is unsettling, I feel the fear blossom in my chest to capacity, and then more. Then she raises dainty hands out of the window and drops something to the grass below. _But not herself._

 _"_ _USAKO!"_ I yell, and she flinches, purposely avoiding me with her gaze, she looks upon her family with regret then walks back into the room, out of sight. I'm about to run into the house. _Must get her, just have to reach her._ But it collapses, hopelessly collapses, and I feel her faintly through our bond. _Just a small wisp of her, like a small caress before it falls silent, dark, empty._

 _'_ _Goodbye,' it's a whisper against my cheek. No, no, no, no, not goodbye. NOT goodbye, COME BACK, I'm begging now, but no one is there anymore on the other end, it's shrouded in darkness._

I don't even register falling onto my knees as it becomes more important to breathe, which has become seemingly more difficult. I need to get up though, _she's in there, and I'm out here._

 _I crawl closer to the blistering heat and see what it is she dropped out the window before turning her back. A black bundle of fur, Luna, my hand reaches out shakily and the cat looks at me with eyes as wide as saucers, saying nothing._

 _Then the roaring fires reflect a glint of gold toppled over next to Luna, it's still hot to the touch but I grab it anyway to confirm my fears._

 _Lightning strikes just feet away from me, ruthlessly assaulting the ground, then the rain pounds down. I don't even flinch, just let the weather act out as it wishes._

 _Smoke, rain, emptiness, loss, anger, lightning. I feel everything and nothing._

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 _Small little things, pile up and accumulate, tiny deviations create big changes, rips if you will, destiny is but a thread in the fabric of life. The thread of density, well I have the knife of opportunity, take that, useless thread._

 _She had just been lying there, on the floor, the amount of control that boy had over her was sickening. That man, always the same, never really changing._

 _Yes love, the stars that sparkle with the radiance of diamonds are beautiful, but nowhere near as breathtaking as you._

 _Setting things right, that's what it should be called, I haven't done anything wrong. Simply taking advantage of one of those rips, to sew a whole, new, better design._

 _When disaster struck, I was there._

 _An out, she is miserable and tells me so, even without the pressing flames. An angel you say? Why love, how endearing that you think so, I can be one if that's what it takes. She is purity defined, and those friends, that man soils it, they are but stains upon her._

 _An offering, it's an exchange, new for old, memories are nothing but pain love, you won't need them. We will make new ones, a new beginning, cut the thread and tie new ones._

 _I assure her that her family is safe, it has been a tough day for her and forgetting seems like the best option. Yes, smart move, the cards are indeed in her favor._

 _Her destiny had been broken to pieces, it was best to forget about her past life and everything associated with it, with all of them. Usagi takes out a star-shaped locket and lets it fall to the ground, straight out the window, along with one last companion, it was best to leave all traces._

 _She wants to ask, but doesn't know the question. So I tell her, "Diamonds symbolize the start of something new." A ring, it is beautiful, the large diamond means affection, strength, eternity and of course- everlasting love. I slip it on her delicate finger. With an odd look she seems to accept this answer and takes my hand, if she thinks I'm some sort of guardian angel she is mistaken._

 _Guardian, most definitely._

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The next few days go by in a haze, a vague memory of being hauled off the grass. I'm soaked to the bone, but strangely feel nothing. The hospital, which I hate, even though I eventually plan on working at. They take off the rumpled white button down shirt and black slacks that I had fallen asleep in earlier. Trade it for a hospital gown.

It's dark when I wake up again, Motoki is slumped over in the chair next to me, watches me with red-rimmed eyes. " _Smoke inhalation, what were you doing so close to the fire?"_

He gets a shrug in response, sighs tiredly and places a stack of black fabric on the chair he has stepped out of.

"For tomorrow, I will come get you," he addresses me even though he is facing the door to my room, and then the door clicks behind him.

 _There is another dream, if you would call it that. Endymion is still laying on the ground like I had left him, bloodshot eyes glare daggers at me the whole time. Nothing is said, there is nothing to be said._

Motoki shows up as promised and grabs the pile of black and delicately shoves it into my arms.

"Get dressed, we are going to be late."

 _Dressed? Late? The pile unravels in my lap, black shirt, black slacks, black jacket._

 _"_ _NO,"_ I yell, and shove it to the ground, he takes one look at my wild eyes, another tired sigh.

My fault.

"I know you broke up with her but you owe this to her family Mamoru, _to her."_

 _My fault._

The storm still hasn't let up, the clouds are ominously grey and the rain beats on black umbrellas. I see her parents, the senshi, and swarms of strangers varying in age and walks of life. Of course, everyone loved her, _it was impossible not to._

I see a terrified looking Makoto, standing with a vice-like grip on Minako's arm. Who's standing holding Artemis with one arm and her umbrella with another, total confusion written on her face.

When I walk over and catch her eyes, a look of understanding washes over her features and leaves a small smile and a sparkle in her indigo orbs that is the exact opposite of what I was expecting. I shiver but it isn't from the cold. I greet Ami who is standing a few feet away from the two, holding Luna and she acknowledges me with a clinical nod of her head, then continues to stare into the distance. Rei is standing next to her shaking like a leaf and when I take a moment to look at her from under the umbrella, she looks through me with a mad look in her eyes. Not angry, her eyes are wide as if she's seeing a ghost. Quickly I back away and stand next to Motoki who has just come back from speaking with _her_ parents.

Everyone is silent, until they move to put the empty casket in the ground. Rei lets out ear piercing shrieks and tries to jump in after it, to which Makoto grabs her and begs her to stop, sobs wracking her body as well.

I don't know why but I almost feel like patting Rei on the back for it, everyone ignores her pleads and pretends she isn't there having a mental breakdown in a cemetery.

Her family walks back to the car after it is finished, with no belongings to bring with them as they drive away from Tokyo. Motoki says something about family in the countryside. The house is gone, _she_ is gone.

 _The next five years are the longest and shortest of my life._ Remains of the house are hauled away, leaving an empty plot that various citizens pitch in for to purchase. In her memory.

A garden, a fountain, _it's beautiful and strange,_ sitting between two other houses in a busy neighborhood.

The most beautiful roses in existence bloom there, _for her_ , many hours are spent on a bench, especially during the night. When the moon shows itself and shines upon her daughter's grave.

Chibi-usa disappears, possibly vanishing from existence, _she was our future daughter. No future._

I dive into my work, yes purpose is good, I'm still here so there must be some sort of purpose. I become the doctor I always wanted to be. Maybe, one day, I will be on duty and some blessed woman will give birth to the most beautiful golden haired girl. A miracle, sapphire eyes will open and I will feel the other half to my soul come back to life. And I will wait, and watch, and wait.

But no such thing happens, the weather has let up slightly since then. When I feel the slightest rustling on the thread, it's sunny. Endymion's presence is like a ghost in my mind, he steps out of his wallowing every now and then to spit some words at me.

"It's you, you idiot, fix the weather, you're hurting her," not _her,_ but the planet. I try to regulate it, apparently the Terran prince has some kind of link with the earth, _lucky me._

 _I almost smile one day when a smart weather reporter chirps a comment on June 30th being the nicest day of the year, that for some reason it has been unfailingly for the past few years. To expect sunny sky's undoubtably._

 _Of course, it's her birthday present, I just humbly pass it along._

I'm sitting at the Crown arcade, the whole gang is here, on insistence of Minako. She thinks get togethers like this are necessary, and nobody has the heart to deny her and break the unspoken rule.

She looks even more giddy today than usual, which only makes me feel ill. _How long can we let this go on? At 16 this was acceptable, but five years later at 21? Maybe I should share some of my alcohol with her, or take her to buy her own._

Ami has her nose in a book, Makoto looks on edge as usual, one wrong look from anyone and she will pick a fight. Rei just sits with a blank look on her face, silent as usual. Luna climbs from my arms and rubs her head against the priestess' tense shoulder.

 _"_ _It's finally time!"_ Minako squeals, which makes Artemis flinch and give his charge a worried look.

"Time for what?" Makoto asks her gently, as if speaking to a young child. The blonde's smile just grows.

 _"_ _She's coming back!"_ Minako beams, indigo eyes flashing. My eyes widen, _she has broken the unspoken rule,_ don't talk about _her._

 _Rage is the first thing I feel, even Makoto pauses, not sure how to respond. To tip toe around her friends obviously shattered hold on sanity._

 _"_ _For gods sake Minako,"_ my fist slams down on the table, breaking everyone from their reverie. _"She's not on some damn vacation, she's, she's-" I can't say it, as if saying it out loud will make it real for the first time. I may despise Minako for pretending that she isn't gone, but I feel like the only thing that keeps me going on is the minuscule possibility, that this is all just some big misunderstanding. I'm a hypocrite._

 _"_ _Usagi is here,"_ She finishes for me confidently, a brief look of hurt and confusion cross her face before her lips upturn again.

Makoto seethes at me, she wants her friend to play out this little charade, because if she's happy than at least that makes one of us. _You don't understand,_ she tells me, _Minako had been looking for her before everyone else even knew about their distant past. Seeking out her dearest friend, her precious princess, she needs this._

Then for the first time a sound comes from Ami's side of the booth, slamming her book shut she

places it on the table and massages the bridge of her nose.

"I can't do this anymore," she looks around the table desperately.

"This isn't healthy!" The med student insists.

"You're right," I whisper, Ami looks at me hopefully, before her face falls at my next words.

"Usako is here," I pause, and Minako's smile widens, "Right here," I point at my chest, meaning my heart. A tear falls down Rei's cheek in the first response I've seen from her. The others nod in acceptance.

A giggle escapes Minako's lips, and she reaches for her bag, digging around for something.

"Of course she's in our hearts," she grabs a hold of something and whips it out, _a magazine?_

 _"_ _But I mean,_ she is _here_ in _Tokyo," Minako tosses it to me and I catch the magazine with ease. Undoubtably filled with gossip and beauty tips, I wonder what this has anything to do with Minako's state of mental imbalance._

But then I see the cover of said magazine, and my heart seems to stop beating in my chest. _Even Endymion stirs in my mind as I soak in the image. A slender figure in a glittering gown has her face turned over her exposed shoulder, showing half of the utter perfection. The crystal encrusted material traces over the womanly curves of her back as exposed to the camera. One visible eye is closed in a serene expression. Silvery hair pools nearly to her high heeled feet, just begging to be held in the style of Lunarian royalty._

 _"_ _Supermodel Serenity DeLune's romp in Tokyo, interview on next exclusive show, the 'Moon Goddess,' tells all," I read the caption out loud in awe, and Minako continues to grin._

 _Serenity,_ gapes Endymion from inside my head.

 _"_ _Usako," and then the darkness seeps in._

 _xxx_

 _Sorry if there are typos/grammar issues, I edit this myself and I'm not as observant as I would like to be lol. P.S. If you're reading this, you're the best._


	3. Chapter 2

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Alternate Destiny

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Red Thread of Destiny

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My eyes slowly drift open, as if after waking from a long sleep.

 _"_ _You're awake, little wife."_

A man, he's sitting on the edge of the large bed looking down at me with a smile on his face.

"Who?" I croak, my throat is dry as the desert.

"Why it's me, _your husband,_ the doctor did say to expect some memory loss from you," he answers smoothly.

"No I mean, _who am I?"_ The question seems to make his eyebrows scrunch in concern. He is quite handsome.

He begins to tell me the whole story. I was in a fire, he got me just in time. Smoke inhalation, possible damage to my brain, explains the memory loss. We are in his place in New York, apparently we are married.

"What is my name?" I whisper, and an endearing smile crosses his face.

"You, my dear, are none other than the beautiful, _Serenity DeLune."_

 _Serenity? Somehow this feels right, maybe this could be right?_

 _"_ _And you are?"_ I ask, returning his playfulness in this dark time.

"Loving husband _Diamond DeLune_ at your service my lady," he picks up my hand and places a kiss upon it, which makes me giggle.

 _Strange names, strange life, am I really married to a billionaire?_

I spend the next week in bed, _our bed_ , but he doesn't try anything which I am relieved at. Instead he brings me extravagant meals on silver trays. Spins stories of our life before the accident, gives me a foot massage when I start to feel restless. _Presents, gifts, jewels,_ but there are always diamonds, _nothing but the best,_ he insists. Sometimes we just sit, and he watches me, _intently._ I feel loved, and _coddled._ Not sure if I like that, _did I used to like that?_

 _I get horrible pains in my chest that just don't seem to go away._ It must show on my face because he is always there to distract me, tell me he loves me, even if I'm not comfortable enough to return it at the moment.

I'm a horrible wife, but he couldn't be happier.

 _Work,_ I have to, anything to prove that I can do something on my own. He asks me what I want to be, insists I'm too beautiful to waste my days away at a job. _A model,_ I counter, _he doesn't like it._ Showing myself off to everyone else, but still he places a necklace around my bare neck this morning before I leave.

"It's wonderful," I whisper to his reflection in the mirror. It looks like a large diamond on a delicate silver chain. Simple in design, I love it.

"Not a diamond this time," he tells me as if he can read my thoughts, "It's a crystal."

 _How un-Diamond-like of him,_ for some reason I like this one more than it's more expensive counterparts.

"Thank you." I tell him for the gift.

"No need, it was yours long before we met." A good luck charm he tells me as he bids me goodbye.

I have the driver drop me off a block away from my destination despite his complaints. Walking the streets of New York it occurs to me that I can understand English quite well, even though Diamond always speaks to me in Japanese, _which is my native tongue?_

Suddenly it's too much for me, overwhelming that I still can't piece together the parts of my life on my own. I'm too absorbed in my racing thoughts to care that my back is sliding down a grimy brick wall tucked away in an ally.

 _Let's see, do the thing. And breathe._

 _I recite the facts I have come to accept about my life._

 _My name is Serenity DeLune, I am eighteen years old and married. I live with Diamond in New York right now. I was in a fire a few months ago, I lost my memory, but I am alive. I think I'm alive. Is this living? We are both orphaned, I have no family. Except my husband. My husband is rich. And he loves me a lot. Do I love him? Did I used to?_

That thought distracts me, could I have really have been such a terrible person to marry him for his money before? Somehow the possibility that I could have been a bad person before sparks a realization, this is my second chance, to become a better person, right the wrongs.

I will be a good wife, I will try to love my husband.

I stand up and take off my cream blazer, which is streaked with dirt in the back now from my near mental breakdown, and continue the down the street like nothing happened.

When I reach the modeling agency the receptionist greets with with a smile and leads me to a room. I'm instantly a hit, and frankly I'm surprised. _A model, really?_

A man in an expensive suit grabs my hand in a brisk shake with a beaming grin on his face.

 _"_ _Serenity DeLune, I imagine this is the start of something very good."_

 _Very good indeed,_ I travel the world with Diamond of course at my side. My own money, my own life, this makes me feel better.

Despite being eighteen I still grew a few inches, A few years go by and Diamond points out the lightening of my hair with something akin to fascination and glee.

I kind of _liked_ my golden hair, but the world sees the silvery hue as more striking, _oh well._

 _Years go by in a blur, work, money, traveling, more work, Diamond. Modeling is tough business, competitive, tough business._

A show in Tokyo, he is reluctant for me to take it, but when I insist he says it might be nice to visit again. He has a place there as well and I feel excitement run through my veins.

The closer our jet gets the more I feel a tug towards Japan. Something calling me back, _back?_

 _He eyes me with uncertainty, but the smile on my face makes his lips upturn as well._

 _Breathe,_ I tell myself, and resort to the tried and true method of calming down. Reassure myself of the facts.

 _I am Serenity DeLune, wealthy supermodel, married to the even wealthier Diamond DeLune. I lost my memories five years ago in a fire, but I have a decent life as it turns out. I am twenty three years old. I don't have any family, but I do have a loving husband. I have everything I have ever wanted._

 _Don't I?_

When my designer black pumps touch down on the ground, we are greeted by the flash of the paparazzi. Diamond puts his arm around my shoulders and waves politely and smiles to the cameras. A strange feeling encompasses my chest, and I get the feeling that something big is coming. _Unraveling._

 _xxx_

When I wake up my eyes land on the familiar sight of my ceiling. My ceiling in my bedroom _, how did I get back here. A chill rushes down my spine, Usako, was it all just a dream? I let out a faint curse and a groan, ready to bury my face in my pillow._

 _"_ _Language, prince,"_ An airy voice admonishes me, then lets out a giggle.

"Luna?" I call out it the darkness, to the feminine voice. A lamp in the corner of my room switches on revealing Minako sitting in a chair with a scrunched up face.

 _"_ _As if,_ besides, when was the last time you heard Luna talk?" The blonde asks me, and I shake my head at her being in my room.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her tiredly, she still seems as mentally deranged as usual, and now she is in my bedroom.

"Is that how you speak to a person who painstakingly brought your unconscious self home?" She asks with a silly grin plastered on her face.

My heart stills, _oh my god._

"You mean that was _real, that actually happened?"_ I gasp out.

 _"_ _Well actually_ it was Makoto who carried you, you're heavy!" Minako pouts.

 _"_ _Usako is alive?"_

She smiles again and nods her head.

"After all those years, _how?"_

"Usagi never actually died, I would have felt it," She says in a soft voice I haven't heard in years.

 _"_ _But I lost her that night, I can't feel her anymore,"_ I choked out.

Minako averts her eyes, taking particular interest in the arm of the chair she is sitting in.

"That is a different matter," she whispers.

My mind struggles to process this new information. _She never died, but then what happened?_ There is no way she could have made it out of that fire like that. _And crazy, insane Minako has known she was alive this whole time?_

"How did you know?" _I ask, maybe she isn't as crazy as we have made her out to be._

A sad smile crosses her face and she looks out the window at the clear night.

"When I saw you at her 'funeral _,'_ I knew for a fact that she was out there somewhere, and that I was just going to have to wait for the right time for her to come back to us. _Again."_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_ I ask her in genuine confusion. With a sigh she turns to her side in the chair and rests her foot on the arm rest. Her fingers toy around her ankle and she clears her throat.

"Mamoru-san, have you ever heard of Akai Itto?" Minako's whisper floats through the room, and she continues.

"The red thread of destiny that ties soulmates together, it can stretch and trail for long distances but it will never break as long as both still live." Her voice chills me to the bone, long gone is the bubbly girl that I have seen for the last five years.

"You see long ago, before I found our princess again, I discovered that I would never have to choose between love and duty. That duty would always prevail, even though I am the goddess of love, ironic right?" A dry chuckle crosses her lips and with a flourish of her hand the red string around her ankle becomes visible. A gasp crosses my lips.

It has the appearance of a ribbon more than a string, due to its thickness. She takes the short length of thread and ties it in a perfect bow around her ankle, with one of the ends looking rather frayed. It trails nowhere.

"Akai Itto is usually red, as the name allows, and is usually tied around the ankle or pinky finger," She informs me.

"Which is what makes yours so peculiar, since it follows none of those rules," she giggles, "Then again, _you guys never did like to follow the rules."_

With another flourish of her hand, she holds a different thread in her hand, as if inspecting it.

"Very peculiar indeed," she says, then my eyes follow the trail of it back to myself. Where it is seemingly wrapped around my chest.

"Right over the heart, symbolic is it not?" she asks with an eyebrow quirked up.

It doesn't pinch as you would expect for something tied around your upper chest, instead it is almost comforting, _like an embrace._

I carefully pick up the thread, which looks more like a cord woven with stands of silver and gold. The silver picks up the light of the moon and shines back at me, I feel like crying.

"When I saw you at the funeral," she states again, "I saw this stretched impossibly far into the distance, and knew that she was alive somewhere out there, otherwise it would look something more like this," Minako pointed to her own thread of destiny, frayed end fluttering at her ankle.

 _I'm speechless,_ my eyes follow the thread past her hands as it innocently trails through the door to my bedroom.

 _"_ _She's alive,"_

"Yes Mamoru-san, and the time has come, for her to come home."

 _Home is where Usako is._

"Yes," I say seriously, "Will you help me find her Minako?" She nods her agreement with a returning smile.

 _"_ _Who else is better for the job than the goddess of love herself?"_ She jokes and pats me on the head before she steps out.

I feel an indent in the bed as Luna jumps up and takes the steps over to the pillow on my left. The one she figures her charge would rest her head on if she were here right now.

 _Hold on Luna, just a little longer._

 _xxx_

Minako knocks on my door impatiently the next morning. Thankfully I couldn't really sleep anyways and was enjoying a cup of coffee at the counter.

In the strides it take me to reach my front door I am sure she has woken up the whole building. When I open it she rushes in and starts babbling at a dizzying speed.

"What? I understood none of that," I tell her as I walk back to the kitchen to my quickly cooling coffee.

"I was saying, she got in early this morning, she is officially in Tokyo now," Minako is trying to inconspicuously shove something back into her back, but I couldn't care less.

I take a moment to breathe, this feels unreal.

"So how do we go about finding her in a city this size?" I ask breathlessly.

She raises a blond eyebrow at me almost in amusement.

"Whatever happened that night she cut off our bond, I won't be able to locate her," my voice is lowered by the end of my admission.

For a minute a look of distress flashes across her indigo eyes, but quickly she recovers. _Was she remembering the state of mine and Usako's relationship at the time of the accident? It certainly haunts me all the time._ _Maybe if things were different, it wouldn't have come to this…_

"We will follow the thread, I can see it after all, _it will be like a big game of hide and go seek,"_ She says with a devilish grin.

"Well I'm certainly looking forward to the prize," I tell her warily, _maybe she still is a little deranged despite what I learned last night._

Minako takes a water bottle out of her bag and takes a few gulps, before the sound of someone clearing their throat breaks through the noise.

I see Luna perched on my kitchen counter while she moves her intense gaze between the two of us.

"I would like to be of assistance as well," She speaks in a confident voice. Minako chokes and spits her water all over my kitchen.

 _"Luna?"_ she gasps in surprise, and I shake my head at the mess she has made. I certainly have been doing that a lot since Minako became more involved in my life recently.

"You spoke?" The blonde squeals.

"Indeed," Luna answers tiredly, before pausing to collect her thoughts.

"I heard everything last night, and I want to do anything in my power to help get Usagi-chan _back,"_ then she looks at me meaningfully.

"These past five years I have been thinking very hard about what would influence her decision that night, _and what went wrong._ I have a princess to protect." Luna states.

Something about what she says chills my blood. I have a feeling Luna knows a lot more than she has let on, but with her vow of silence these past years, she hasn't shared anything.

"Well then let's go," Minako insists, picking up Luna.

"Is Artemis coming?" The black cat attempts at saying nonchalantly, but the blonde grins fiendishly.

"No, but I can take you back home with me and give you two some time to _reconnect,"_ which earns her a hiss and claws in her forearm.

 _"Ouch Luna!"_ she squeaks.

 _This is going to be a long day._

 _xxx_

We follow Minako out of the building, winding through streets haphazardly. Every now and then she will stop suddenly and take a look around. _The two of us must look like a confused couple from the countryside, lost in the big city._

Luna is perched watchfully from Minako's bag and I start chewing on my lip nervously. _What if we can't find her? What is she is still upset with me for the heartbreak I caused her? I will do anything to get her back, but what if she doesn't want to be found…_

Suddenly the sound of camera shutters and people yelling catches my attention.

 _"Bingo,"_ Minako beams victoriously.

My eyes find her immediately in the sea of people surrounding her, and I almost feel faint again.

She is more luminous in real life, the paper in no way can capture the glow that surrounds her very being. She is everything. _She is mine,_ I hear the familiar growl of Endymion in my head, but even that won't ruin the image before me.

Dressed in a modest but undoubtably expensive lavender day dress with her hair in a sleek ponytail, she is not what I remember. But it is most definitely her that is flanked with fans and paparazzi all begging for her attention. She smiles and signs a few autographs.

Luna jumps out of Minako's bag and runs in her direction, not the least bit concerned by all the people swarmed around her.

 _"Luna!"_ I call out, chasing her over, but she cuts the crowd by threading between legs.

People call out in surprise as she bounds toward her princess, and even Usako looks over in curiosity. Then the cat all but jumps into her arms, and the crowd is silent as she lets out a sweet laugh that I feel resonate in my chest.

She says something to Luna and kisses her crescent mark on her forehead. _Surely she knows Luna can't respond to her in front of all these people._ Then gently places her back on the ground.

When Luna wobbles her way back over to me and collapses onto her stomach, uneasiness fills me.

"What's wrong?" I whisper discreetly, and her eyes are wide, not unlike when I found her on that cursed night.

"She- _she_ …that _bastard,"_ she growls brokenly before going limp in my arms.

"Luna!" Minako cries and I notice she is standing next to me. We both jump when Luna's crescent moon starts glowing brightly, she covers it with her jacket before anyone else can see the odd phenomenon.

"Take her to my apartment," I dig around in my jacket pockets for the key, and then there's more noise behind us.

Screams call out across the square and chaos breaks out, I place the key in Minako's hand and rush back over to the growing crowd. _Something is wrong._

That's when I see her sprawled out on the concrete, looking especially pale. _Usako._

My protective instincts kick in, and I'm shoving people out of the way.

 _"Let me through, I'm a doctor,"_ I yell pushing people to get through. By her side I fall to my knees. My hands reach to her small wrist and check her pulse, and my head bends down to try to listen to her heartbeat. _What's wrong with her? No, no, NO you can't leave me again! As memories from that horrible night flood in my desperation rises._

 _I grab her delicate shoulders and start shaking her, wake up, WAKE UP!_

A firm hand lands on my shoulder but I don't tear my gaze away yet.

"The ambulance is on it's way, what's wrong with her?" A male voice breaks me from my thoughts.

"She is unresponsive and her heartbeat is irregular," My calm professional voice states.

It feels like an eternity before help actually arrives, and they load her onto the stretcher, I jump into the ambulance as well and Minako gives me a look, _she will meet me there._

Another man gets in and they close the doors, rushing to the hospital. I can't tear my eyes away from her, it's like watching her die all over again. I grab her hand as the people around us are trying to stabilize her condition.

The guy across from me makes a strangled noise when I do this. I look up at him for the first time. _Who does this guy think he is? What is he, her bodyguard or something?_

 _A man in a charcoal pin striped blazer and crisp white shirt narrows his eyes at her hand in mine. He looks at me with thinly disguised aggravation but then realization shines in his eyes for a brief second. A chilling grin pulls at his lips as he looks at my face. What the hell?_

Arriving to our destination is a blur, paparazzi line the entrance the the hospital, they rush her into a room. I grab my white coat from my office on the way up to meet them. She is stable they tell me. I wait at her bedside for her to wake up. It doesn't even matter anymore if she sees me and yells at me for before, I will even welcome it. In fact the minute those eyes open I'm going to kiss her senseless.

 _Speak of the devil._

Gingerly her eyes drift open, and I find myself lost in their depths. _What is she thinking?_ We just stare at each other for the longest time. _Will she ever forgive me?_

 _"My husband,"_ she whispers faintly, and my heart feels like it's about to explode in my chest.

 _Does she know the future that would have been?_ _My Usako._

"Where is my husband? You are my doctor right? Would you please find him for me?" She asks me, eyes shining.

It has the effect of a freight train hitting me, my lungs are trying desperately to replace the oxygen. _Husband? Doctor?_

 _"Usako,"_ I have to breathe, "It's me!" It comes out sounding more like a plea.

The door to the room slams open and I feel like I'm going to be sick at the confused look she gives me.

Then mister pin striped jacket steps through the doorway and runs over to her side. He takes her hand and places a kiss upon it.

"Serenity," he whispers and she grabs onto his hand.

"Diamond, _what happened?"_

 _Diamond,_ looks back up at me as if I'm ruining their intimate moment and a secret grin crosses his face.

"Would you leave me and my wife alone for a moment _Dr. Chiba?"_ It's a command and we both know it, frankly it's all too much for me and I run out of the room as fast as my feet can take me.

I miraculously make it to my office and slam the door behind me. My back slides down it to the ground as my legs start trembling even harder.

 _She's not dead,_ I reassure myself.

 _She doesn't remember me, I am nothing to her,_ my hands start shaking.

 _Usako is married._

 _To another man._

 _The color red overwhelms my vision and get back onto my feet, my hand collides with the nearest thing. A lamp crashes to the ground. I kick over the desk and the sound of everything hitting the ground gives me some sort of sick satisfaction._

 _Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, Endymion's scream rings in my head, in pure rage my fist hits the metal filing cabinet, it leaves a dent. I expect some sort of pain but I feel nothing and let out a growl. Numb._

 _After everything in my office has felt my anguish I curl up in the corner by the windows and actually start crying._

 _"Mine," it's a sob and primitive sounding. Caveman-ish and nonsensical. But it's true._

Quietly my door opens and I wonder briefly if anyone heard the racket from outside my office _._ It's dark now and light floods through the door as Dr. Mizuno steps in _._ Then there's a gasp, _apparently nobody else heard it,_ I can't find it in myself to care just yet so I don't get up from the ground.

I hear Minako mutter apologetically to the woman and then the door clicks behind her.

 _"Usako,"_ I whisper into the room and my newest best friend crouches and sits with her back again the wall.

"I assume you found out," she says soberly.

"You knew?" I croak and she sets something on the ground before reaching into her bag.

 _That damn bag, is that where she keeps all crucial, earth shattering information?_

It's a newspaper that she holds in her hand and I carefully take it from her.

A picture, it's the two of them. _Serenity and Diamond DeLune,_ the caption says.

 _Hottest celebrity couple,_ the paper taunts me. It's on the cover so the picture is big and in full color. Which only makes it that much more painful.

He has his arm around her shoulder and is smiling and waving to the camera as _they_ step out of what is undoubtably _their_ private jet. I can't help but notice the victorious gleam in his eye.

 _Of course, he's got her, he has won everything._

Diamond DeLune, _he isn't ugly,_ but nothing could hope to uphold its beauty next to her. His pale hair brushes his shoulders in a sultry hairstyle I'm sure makes all the girls swoon. _Makes her swoon,_ I grit my teeth and continue evaluating my competition. The writer gushes how they make such a _beautiful_ couple, that their good looks complement each other _so_ perfectly. And I scoff to myself, If they are referring to their unusually light complexions they are clearly blind. His light hair relates to her silvery ethereal hair in only the way a cheap knockoff can relate to its infinitely more valuable counterpart.

As if Minako can sense my growing rage she snatches the paper from me and sighs.

"I know you aren't a veterinarian but could you still check her out?" She picks up the bundle she put down before and lays her in my lap. _Luna, I totally forgot_. Now I feel like such an ass for ignoring her to throw my temper tantrum.

She seems to be unconscious, but her eyes are clenched tightly shut and her furry body spasms in my arms. Just as I'm about to tell Minako this, her crescent mark glows brightly again, before filling the whole room with blinding light.

 _"Luna?"_ I call out, no longer feeling her in my lap, then the light dissipates and Minako screams at the top of her lungs.

A woman with long, wavy, raven tresses and large turquoise eyes sits uneasily with her hands bracing the ground behind her. She is clothed in a yellow and black dress with nothing on her feet. As if mesmerized she stares at the small toes as she curls and uncurls them, and then lets out a scream of her own. Her hands going up to cover her mouth before she looks at them too and turns away in horror.

A crescent moon adorns her forehead just like someone else I know and I shiver.

"L-Luna, _is that you?"_ Minako asks carefully.

 _"My body,"_ Luna gasps in astonishment, shaking her head in disbelief before her face sobers up.

"This isn't good," She is still shaking her head as she clumsily stands to her feet before us.

"You're human," The blonde next to me says in enchantment.

"This is a sign, and with the predicament the princess is in it can only mean bad news," Luna says regretfully before bowing down on one knee before me. I'm baffled as to what she is doing and want nothing more than for her to raise her lowered head. I get the familiar foreboding feeling that seems to follow me around like a shadow.

"Forgive me prince," she breathes, "For her body and the legendary silver crystal are preparing themselves now."

 _"For what?"_

 _Luna pauses as if she is recalling something from long ago, my mind entertains the idea of her reciting some ridiculous prophecy, like in a fairytale or something._

"The time is fast approaching when she will take her rightful place as Queen."

 _Close enough._

xxx

A comforting sense of numbness overwhelms me for the rest of the night.

 _Too much, it's too much to take in._

With glazed eyes I watch as Luna and Minako try to pick up my office which has been left in shambles. I can tell she thinks I'm not totally there when Luna looks over her shoulder at me in pity. _Pity, my queen has found another king, and I am left with nothing._

 _No love, no future, no life._

They offer to take me back to my place but after much convincing they leave me here. Both will go to Minako's place.

As soon as they leave, I find myself walking back up the stairs, down a hall and to the door of a specific room.

I stand for a few minutes, and know that it's only _her_ in there. Slowly my hand reaches for the doorknob and I twist.

After a whole minute of just staring at Serenity from the door way I let myself in, the door clicking behind me.

The walk over to the seat at her bedside feels like an eternity, with my thoughts swimming thickly around me. Once I'm in the stiff chair I look up in resignation. And she is just as painfully breathtaking as ever, even with her brows furrowed in sleep. Long, spindly lashes tickle porcelain cheeks, and her pale pink lips are set in a pout. She doesn't look peaceful in this sleep, not like the images that dance around in my mind. It takes me a few minutes to realize that these aren't _mine,_ they are fleeting memories from Endymion.

 _Cut it out._

 _Serenity,_ it's the faintest whisper drenched in longing but it's the only response he gives me.

The door creaks open and I look up dreading the arrival of her _husband._

But it's just a nurse, _that new one, her name keeps slipping my mind._

"Dr. Chiba, I wasn't aware that she was your patient," she says but we both know it's really a question as a quizzical gaze is sent my way.

"She isn't," I say nonchalantly, but send an authoritative look to her, "What is her condition?"

"About an hour ago she relapsed, but is stable enough now, I was just coming to check her stats." She tells me.

 _Relapsed? What is wrong with her?_

 _Luna. That happened about an hour ago._

I watch intently as the nurse checks on her vitals and gathers some information, before wishing me a good night and exiting the room. As soon as she is gone, I jump up from the chair and place my hand on her face.

 _She feels so cold._

 _Serenity,_ Endymion says more firmly this time, and I feel my head lowering to hers without my consent.

 _No, this isn't right,_ I try to battle his obvious intent.

 _She needs this!_

 _What if he walks back in and sees us?_ I retort.

 _He is insignificant in the grand scheme of things_ , Endymion growls at me at the mention of her newest love interest.

A flurry of moments experienced in my past life breeze past me. _A bright light then Serenity would appear in my bedroom, arms wrapping around her before she could collapse. A kiss, just a little transfer of energy, and then a small smile curling on those perfect pink lips as the weariness melted away._

The memories however burst like a bubble as soon as my lips touch hers, right here and now. I don't even waste time on surprise before I gently caress her lips with mine, just a little taste of paradise. But the bright light emanating from her makes me regretfully break our contact. When I look down I see that a crescent moon has materialized on her brow, humming with light and energy, before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. A wave of soft, golden light washes from that point all the way down to her toes, and her face relaxes into a peaceful expression. I watch gratefully as some healthy color tints her cheeks and let out a sigh of relief.

When I am sure that Serenity is still hopelessly asleep, I fall back into my chair and let my eyes shut, just to savor the feelings for a little longer. _That was probably my last chance to kiss her. Usako._ The thought weighs heavily on my soul, threatening to crush me under the weight.

I can't even find it in me to be upset at Endymion for pulling such a sneaky trick, granted the ending it produced.

The door opens again, confident and assured, and I know it isn't a nurse this time.

Her _husband_ is here, I don't even feel guilty for my actions as I step out of my chair and walk out of the room, nothing is said between us. In fact, I secretly hope he knows. _Mine._

xxx

 _What an interesting development in our little game, yes, interesting indeed._

 _Fine wine swirls in my glass, my hands holding the delicate stem with nimble fingers. Delicate, you have to know how to handle things of such delicacy. Like her, she is but a flower of the rarest kind._

 _Beautiful, but delicate, if not handled with the utmost care, she can be damaged, he never understood, never will._

 _The deep red stains my lips as I take another sip._

 _Somehow I think I knew this would happen, not the part where she ends up in the hospital. But I knew, coming here was crucial and destructive._

 _A chuckle escapes my lips, he just can't stay away can he? Quite predictable that one is. Finding him already in the room when I had come to visit again, yet he still walks out and lets me have her._

 _How entertaining this trip has turned out to be._

 _After instructing them to contact me when she wakes up again, I came back to my place. Poured myself some wine, and decided to contemplate the next move._

 _Something big is coming, this is Tokyo after all, the chosen land. Was it a mistake to bring her here this early? A rare feeling of uneasiness creeps up before I banish it back to where it came from._

 _Moves and countermoves, that's all this is._

 _The image of Chiba with his lost puppy dog look brings me a heady sense of satisfaction._

 _This is my game now, I will let you join in, but I think you might find that the cards have changed much since you last played, Endymion._

 _xxx_

I wake up from what feels like the best night of sleep I've had in ages. Never have I ever felt that rested after a good night of sleep. Then that train of thought flies out the window in abandon when I take in the stark white ceiling staring back at me.

 _Where am I?_

 _A familiar panic takes over when I don't know what has happened. The dread of not remembering._

 _Unconsciously I start thrashing against the scratchy sheets that seem tucked a little too tight. A scream caught in my throat._

"Hey there, are you all right, do you know where you are?" A concerned voice registers amidst the insanity.

"Where's the doctor?" Another voice asks.

 _"Get him over here"_

The sound of a door crashing open and then I hear some murmuring amongst people. I don't even bother to look at them and screw my eyes shut.

"Calm down, It's all right," A soothing voice tells me, and suddenly I find myself doing just that.

"Breathe," The gentle command is aimed at me, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

My curiosity gets the best of me, wondering who in the world could command me to do something so entirely, only to get me to actually _do it._

 _My eyes open slowly and meet with a pair of the darkest blue eyes I've ever seen._

 _Mesmerizing. Like I know them from somewhere._

 _"It's you!"_ It flies out of my mouth.

His eyes go wide and I feel like I've surprised him somehow, the look almost makes me laugh at his expense.

Looking at him sparks the memory of earlier, waking up and Diamond telling me what happened. I feel much better.

"You're my doctor right?" I try again, and he tries to compose himself. _Do I know him from somewhere else? If I did I would feel awful._

The guy I have decided I know as only being my doctor nods his head hastily. _I think I would remember knowing a guy with eyes like that,_ my cheeks tint at the thought. If he notices something is off, he doesn't mention it.

"Dr. Chiba, Mr. DeLune is waiting outside and would like to discuss something with you," One of the voices from earlier states, which now I can see belongs to a nurse.

Dr. Chiba's gorgeous eyes harden and he gives a curt nod before heading out the door. _Did I just say gorgeous? I must be delusional, side effect of my most recent fainting sprees, I am a happily married woman._

The fact that he's going to have a discussion with my husband only makes the conflicting emotions even more confusing.

"Taken a liking to Dr. Chiba I see?" Playfully slanted eyes of one of the nurses zone in on me. I choke on the breath I was taking.

"Excuse me?"

"You were eyeing him like a juicy steak on a dinner plate," She guffaws at my expression, and her cleverness.

"I most certainly was not!" My arms cross my chest defensively, _damn her._

"Were too," the other nurse pipes in.

"I am a happily married woman," I repeat my earlier sentiment out loud. The first nurse as I have decided to dub her, moves a pointed look over to my impossibly large diamond wedding ring.

"Trust my honey, _I know,"_ she says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, but maybe it is.

 _"But_ that doesn't mean anything, _what's a little fun?"_ She finishes with a sly smirk.

I can't do anything to stop my face from lighting up, judging by how hot it suddenly seems in the room, probably to the color of a ripe tomato.

"Don't worry though," nurse number two tells me in a voice that makes me think I should worry,

"He's probably got the hots for you too, _miss supermodel_ , he didn't even go home last night, slept in his office, _and_ he wasn't even on duty yesterday."

"I'm sure he had his reasons," I shoot back at the conniving duo.

"Have my reasons for what?" Diamond asks as he steps in the now open door, just catching the tail end of our entirely inappropriate conversation.

"Had your reasons for leaving me here _all by myself_ last night," I supply quickly, thinking on my toes. I'm a bad liar, but he doesn't delve any deeper into it, for which I'm grateful.

"I didn't leave you here all night by yourself little wife, in fact I came by multiple times and sat with you," he says smoothly while he gets on one knee and takes my hand for its usual smooching ritual.

The nurses audibly swoon and I barely withhold myself from rolling my eyes. All the woman sigh longingly at his overly charming ways towards me, and oddly I find it funny.

Then my eyes catch Dr. Chiba's as he stands in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face. One of those pesky chest pains decides to hit me with an odd intensity, but I refuse to draw attention to it.

 _What could Diamond have possibly said to my doctor that I can not hear?_

xxx

 _What does he want from me now?_

 _Stupid Diamond DeLune. Even his name is ridiculous and pretentious sounding._

I cast one last look at my unknowing soulmate as she lays on her hospital bed before turning to talk to her _husband._

As I shut the door softly behind me I see him watching my movements with a peculiar look on his face.

"You wished to speak to me Mr. DeLune?" I try to keep my voice in check, but it still sounds cold as steel.

"Yes Dr. Chiba, regarding my wife's condition," he looks down at the floor, wringing his hands, "I fear for her health these days,"

 _"Is there more?"_ It comes out too quickly, and I'm sure he picks up on the concern, but he doesn't indicate it.

"Well her job is rather demanding, but her exhaustion is extreme," he carefully purses his lips, "And despite her insistence she might need some counseling to help with the effects of her amnesia."

 _Amnesia._

He watches carefully for my response before continuing.

"I am looking to hire someone to be an in-house doctor for her, if you know anyone that is interested and has the qualifications tell them to give me a call," Diamond hands me a flawless, white, business card. The heavy paper in embossed in simple, pitch black ink. Then he moves past me and walks into her room without another word. I stand dumbfounded holding the small rectangle in my hands. Surely he can sense that my feelings toward her far exceed the feelings any doctor should have for his patient.

But still, he has basically offered me the job, _what is Diamond getting at with this?_

I delicately shove it into my pocket where it is hidden along with a few small medical instruments. Then follow his lead back into the room, where I walk in on the scene of him showering my love with his praise.

My face falls into an indifferent mask as my blood boils, then her impossibly blue eyes catch mine. She watches me with a strange expression on her face.

 _So does she really not remember anything about me? To what is the extent of her amnesia?_

 _What else is wrong with her that Diamond would find concerning enough to want to hire an in-house doctor? I plan on finding out. What happened to you Usako?_

At that moment a colleague of mine decides to strut into the room. Dr. Nakamura, who was _actually_ assigned to the patient, gives me a questioning look before greeting everyone in the room.

"It seems you are feeling a bit better, Serenity?" He asks her, pointedly ignoring her husband, in order to eye her up and down. _Of course she still looks radiant in a hospital gown._ Attractive, young doctors are used to getting what they want and Ryo Nakamura is no exception. And it only makes me want to punch him in the face. _Seriously? Another guy trying to win her affections is the last thing I need right now. First name basis, really? Bastard._

After I bury my urge to sock my co-worker one, I turn to update him on _his_ patients condition.

"So is she clear to come home with me?" Diamond asks, and I feel desperation clawing at me. _No you can't take her._

"We had thought it would be necessary to keep her here for additional monitoring, but it seems she has made a miraculous recovery," Ryo tells them proudly, as if this is some how his accomplishment.

"But it still might be beneficial to keep her here for additional screening, to see if there are other problems," I insert firmly, remembering Diamonds earlier claims.

"Thank goodness she is all clear, I wish to take her home soon as possible," Said man beams, obviously not addressing me.

"It will be done," my colleague assures him, and they shake hands before Diamond hands him his card.

"I think you would be good for a position I am offering, if you wish to learn more this is where you can contact me," he says cryptically, making me assume he hasn't told Serenity of this yet.

"Of course, I will get in touch with you later," Ryo answers suavely, obviously pleased at getting a job offer from such a prestigious figure.

 _What is he doing? Even suggesting that Nakamura be an in-home doctor for her? The man who was just ogling her shamelessly in front of him. A man who likely doesn't even comprehend the meaning of 'No thanks, I'm not interested,' particularly when it comes from a woman's mouth._

 _Obviously Diamond must understand this?_

 _Apparently not,_ I think as Ryo beams at Diamond, telling him that he will take care of any loose ends and get her released as soon as possible. Making me wonder what other idiots he has offered this impossibly important job to, and I realize something, as if it wasn't painfully obvious enough.

 _I have to be the one to get this job._

When she thinks nobody is watching her, I let myself linger on those sapphire eyes, active with hellfire burning behind them, trying to incinerate all the men in the room. I hold back a chuckle, _she hates everyone speaking about her like she's not even present._

 _Typical Usako, how much have you really changed?_

 _xxx_

 _Wow I'm surprised at the favs and follows already, you guys are_ _awesome. Ive had this story partially typed up on my laptop for the longest time. Now I'm really inspired to finish and post it._ _Up next, Luna tells all! What really happened on that fated night in her charges bedroom? And do they even want to know?_


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